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Just to put you in the right mood, did you realise that by the end of 2013 there will be more mobile devices connected than there are people on earth (source CISCO) and that Facebook now has more than 1 billion network users? Surprised? The Social Media industry is changing rapidly and businesses are quickly learning they must have an online presence and that through social media they can build an online community to develop new relationships with their clients and stakeholders. However, with so many new platforms appearing, the question is where to focus your efforts. The key to answering this question is to understand where this market or industry is going. Here are some trends to think about so you can invest your time and money on a viable social media strategy.

Congratulations if you have one as this is the first place to start in developing an effective social media campaign. If you don't, but are trying to develop one that will ensure your social media is successful, then this article will help you. There are a number of steps you need to take to get there.

First of all, what is Google+? According to Martin Shervington who runs his own successful marketing business in the UK and the USA "Google+ is something different". For business, Google+ helps you attract new customers and to improve your relationships with existing ones by making it easier to connect with people who search on Google. When taken as part of the total Google offering, it provides a far reaching social network that helps your Google search engine rankings if you have a Google+ account. This is probably because Google are the king of "search". They have all the data to know what people are looking for, how they look and what results they like, which ultimately gives you market trends. Google+ brings people together through three simple tools (1) circles (similar to twitter lists); (2) communities (similar to Facebook Groups); and (3) hangouts or chatrooms with Skype calling capability.

Until recently tablet computers such as the iPad have been geared primarily towards the casual user, offering business users a way to complement the power of a more traditional computing platform (such as a laptop running Windows or Mac OS) rather than replace it entirely. We've written previously about the advantages of a tablet for business and how their unique form factor offers useability that hasn't been available before. With the release of Windows 8 we're seeing more and more tablets that attempt to provide an all-in-one solution for the typical road warrior. Microsoft's Surface was originally released to mixed reviews due to poor battery life and a dearth of accessories to expand its useability. With the upcoming release of both the Surface 2 and Windows 8.1, Microsoft seeks to address these shortcomings and claim a more significant piece of the ever-expanding tablet market.

In business, time is money. This is often the reason it is hard to get a meeting accepted by your prospects or future clients, as they are generally too busy to even read your email. Have you found that when you send an email requesting a meeting, you never hear back? If your answer is yes, this is likely to be because busy people sit with their finger poised on the delete button. According to ExacTarget, people take 2.7 seconds to decide whether to read or delete or forward your email.

The good news is there are ways to get your emails read and replied to. The key points are reciprocation, how you draft your email, how long it is, how clear it is, and even what you say in the subject matter.